Did we mention that we had rocket scientists working on the Scioto Mile?

Under those rocks, the Prow has a network of cables that provide support

Okay, not real rocket scientists, but brainiac Civil Engineers. Chatting with those engineers is as mentally challenging as it gets. They have excited conversations about topics like PSI and post-tensioning cables.

Although those techy terms are intimidating, the concepts actually have some humble, everyday connections. The notion of post-tensioning cables dates back to a discovery by a French florist in the 1800’s. He was just trying to make a stronger flowerpot.

Our engineers aren’t real interested in flowerpot technology; they are interested in building strong walls on the Scioto Mile’s prow. So the team uses thick post-tensioning cables to help bolster the concrete sides of the forming landmass.

And while those cables have an impressive “PSI” (that’s a measurement of pressure in pounds per square inch), the next time we have a brainy chat, we’re armed with some impressive PSI data of our own.

Did you know that Pop Rocks candies explode with the force of 600 PSI?

Good thing they use regular rocks to fill the prow.

It’s not a horse, but you might call it a River Redhorse . . . or a Big Sawed Sucker or a River Mullet. It’s a smallish fish that ranges anywhere from two to ten pounds. The creature is native to the Scioto River, and it’s about to be immortalized in bronze.

Whatever you call them, these fish will make quite a statement on the Scioto Mile Promenade

The fountains on the Scioto Mile Promenade will feature giant flipping bronze fish; oversized metal versions of the River Redhorse with sinuous curves and spouting mouths.

And what’s a bronze fish without a little natural habitat?  Strewn across the custom pond (that’s the fountain) are aquatic foliage, also cast in bronze.  A good botanist might recognize the American Lotus and the Marsh Marigold. 

Seated near to the Ohio Judicial Center, there’s a particular natural harmony that the fountain creates with its aquatic life. The River Redhorse joins the architectural icons on the building in a celebration of the great natural wonders of our State.

By the way, this fountain has more than authenticity and aesthetic features: it’s a touchable work of art. Guests are encouraged to experience the fountain with all their senses.

While our local fishermen might lament the fact that “these fish don’t bite,” our fingers are glad those bronze beauties have jaws agape.

This luminescent art will make a dramatic scene

This is the time of year when people start to get a little anxious about light. Even though the days are actually getting longer, the nights seem bleaker -darker in the cold of January and February.

One of the nicest things about the fountains on the Scioto Mile is that they bring a little light to our world, all year round. Not just light –the artistic structure features glimmering halos, perched at 14 to 20 feet above the ground.

The blossoms of stainless steel ringlets will be illuminated January through December. In the warmer months the halos will spout fog and waterworks too. It’s a form of art that shifts with the seasons.

The luminescent halos aren’t the only things that add some bling to the project. They’re perched above a most unusual foundation of Lithocrete. Think of Lithocrete as a distant cousin to concrete – it’s more of an artist’s medium.  The substance uses finely crushed aggregate from all sorts of sources (quartz, marble, seashells) to produce almost any stony texture you can imagine. And because it uses crushed natural materials, Lithocrete has an unusual ability to reflect small amounts of light.

Just one more bright spot in the Scioto Mile.

You can generally plan on a few snow days every year. In fact, Columbus City Schools builds a calendar that makes allowances for five snow days – five days when weather conditions are viewed as too harsh for kids to attend school . . . indoors.

Snow won't stop this Scioto Mile worker

Regardless of the cold, snow and sleet, the construction crew will be working outdoors on the Scioto Mile. The team doesn’t take snow days; it’s an all-weather workforce that honestly isn’t hindered by ambient conditions. Mother Nature simply doesn’t faze them. As long as there’s long underwear, gloves and warm boots, the project moves along.

All sorts of Scioto Mile projects are progressing along in the cold weather months of 2010. The big compacters are out and running and the underground utility work moves forward. These days, you might see the concrete or masonry teams on-the-job too.

This plastic tent is more for the building's protection, than to keep workers warm

And while there are plastic tents and space heaters over the landscape, it’s not actually for the crew (they like their own fleece); it’s for the raw material.  Mortar needs to be a certain temperature to set properly.

Quite honestly, it’d take a hurricane to hold them back. Literally. The only thing that stops a construction crew is dangerously high winds or a flooding rain. And although the Scioto River is a pretty powerful body of water, chances are pretty slim it’ll spawn a storm of epic tsunamic proportions.